"Like most Democrats, she is pro-labor," says political consultant Bill Carrick. "You would have a hell of a story if Barack Obama appointed someone anti-labor . . . She has a terrific reputation of being a hard-working member of Congress."

Left: Hilda Solis

Solis is expected to be the polar opposite of the current pro-business Labor Secretary, Elaine Chao.

In 1994, Solis became the first Latina elected to the California Senate. At the time, she was at the forefront of a battle to increase the state's minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.75 an hour, which passed in 1996.